The ultimate creator of VR survival games
strikes again. During Warner Bros. Japan's panel at the recent Anime Expo, the
production committee behind Devils' Crest released the
franchise's first promotional video. The trailer not only confirmed that the
animated adaptation will premiere globally on November 6, but also
secured an exclusive distribution through the Amazon Prime Video streaming
platform, ensuring a massive reach from day one. In addition, it was revealed
that Japanese superstar Ado will be performing the intense
opening theme titled "Shinka."
To make this leap to the screen live up to the
very high expectations, the project was assigned to the veterans of the Production
I.G. studio. The main director's chair is occupied by Shinji Ushiro,
with Kenichirō Komaya taking over the general direction of the project. The
complex composition of the series falls to Eiji Umehara, while Yukiko
Horiguchi, the original illustrator of the novels, is directly in charge of
adapting the character design. The tension and chaos of virtual combat will be
supported by the original soundtrack composed by Yūki Hayashi and Naoyuki
Chikatani.
A new hell in virtual reality
It's impossible not to compare this premise to
the previous works of Reki Kawahara, the legendary author behind
industry mainstays like Sword Art Online and Accel
World. Originally published as a light novel in November 2022 under Kadokawa's imprint,
the plot drags an entire class of sixth-graders into the final VRMMORPG of the
season: Actual Magic. What was meant to be a playful immersion
quickly turns into a twisted survival game where giant monsters lurk around
every corner and one's own companions can mutate into beasts. The only hope of
the protagonist, Yuuma, lies in the directives of a demon named Valac, who has
surprisingly taken possession of the body of his own twin sister.
